This director is vindictive.

In the entertainment industry, apologizing has almost become a common "public relations tactic".

But some things can't be addressed with just an apology—especially when someone deliberately tries to ride on the coattails of the legendary retired director Chen Mo.

Chen Mo's fan base is absolutely formidable. While they may not be as prone to making unreasonable demands as some other fans, they are certainly not to be trifled with.

This time, the other party deliberately chose to ride on Chen Mo's popularity after his retirement from the entertainment industry, which is simply unforgivable to many loyal fans.

What angered them even more was that before this, many media outlets and marketing accounts had been desperately praising him, elevating him to the skies—claiming things like "Chen Mo's successor" and "the second Chen Mo," with each label being higher than the last.

And what happened? Despite its low rating, the movie "Happy Breakup" easily grossed over 300 million yuan at the box office because it capitalized on the hype.

This kind of "making big money by riding the coattails of trending topics" really hits a nerve with movie fans.

It received terrible ratings but had high box office returns. Why? Isn't it just because it capitalized on Chen Mo's name?

Therefore, moviegoers not only do not accept the apology, but they also cannot swallow their anger—they rode the wave of popularity and made money at the box office, and now they think they can get away with just an apology? No way.

"Now anyone can be Chen Mo's successor? Make a bad movie, use his name, and you can easily make over 300 million at the box office. That's some pretty respectable money."

"The movie's ratings are terrible, but its box office is skyrocketing by sucking up Director Chen's blood. This operation is a classic textbook in the entertainment industry."

"Apologizing now? They've already capitalized on the hype and made their money, and now they want to whitewash themselves? I could hear their PR scheme even from Mars."

"If apologies were effective, what would we need the police for? Besides, this apology looks like it was written by a team; even the punctuation is perfunctory."

"A 3.0 rating and 300 million in box office revenue—these days, being infamous is still being famous. The more you criticize someone, the more money you make. Director Chen's name is like a brick; you can use it wherever you need it."

"The movie 'Happy Breakup' should be renamed 'Happy Riding the Wave,' since the director and investors must be laughing their heads off."

"Do you really think Director Chen will lose his fans just because he's retired? We're just getting old, not dead! Even my cat wouldn't believe this kind of apology."

"I suggest that a 'Best Accidental Accident Award' be set up for future award ceremonies. This production team would definitely win by a unanimous vote."

In an instant, the other party's Weibo account was flooded with criticism.

To be honest, choosing this time to provoke Chen Mo, or rather, to use Chen Mo for publicity, is indeed a very good gimmick.

Moreover, their solid box office performance has made many of their peers green with envy.

You can freeload, and so can we!
Of course, there are still concerns. After all, Chen Mo is not some Tom, Dick, or Harry that just anyone can take advantage of.

They all knew that it mainly depended on Chen Mo's attitude.

If he's unhappy, he doesn't even need to say a word; he can just let you feel the power of capital, and that'll be enough to make things difficult for you.

To put it bluntly, this time, the new director seems to have won in substance, and being criticized a few times doesn't seem to matter much.
But that's not the case at all; the consequences are far more troublesome than they seem or are imagined.

Why do so many film critics and netizens criticize and even insult the works of those famous directors?

That's because they're not part of that circle.

But directors are different. If you really offend those big directors, the entertainment industry is a circle, a big circle within a small circle.

It can make it impossible for you to move an inch in the Chinese entertainment industry in no time. It's not a ban, but sometimes it's worse than a ban.

Putting aside everything else, the fact that the event is specifically scheduled for a certain period is enough to deter many investors.

Not to mention Shengshi Pictures, a major player in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Of course, it's not that serious. After all, they still have a connection with Chen Mo as fellow alumni.

But it's hard to say about others.

However, the fighting spirit of Chen Mo's fans this time is quite astonishing.

In their words, "Do you really think Director Chen will lose his fans just because he's retired? We're just getting old, not dead!"

Even a high-ranking executive at Shengshi Pictures privately remarked, "It's understandable for young people to want to take shortcuts, but to profit by stepping on the names of their predecessors is unacceptable. In the future, we'll have to be more selective about our partners."

The other party's investors were initially very happy, but now they suddenly realize that although Chen Mo has not said a word, the backlash is more intense than expected, and several of their related investments suddenly "need to be re-evaluated".

Chen Mo hasn't even said a word yet, but in the entertainment industry, silence can sometimes be more deafening than a statement.

"So, what are you planning to do? Kill him with one blow?" Zhang Yuqi, this fierce woman, with her big belly, held an ear of corn as a microphone and looked very interested, pretending to be a reporter interviewing Chen Mo.

Chen Mo couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Am I really that petty?" Chen Mo was speechless.

"Aren't you afraid that the instigator will have no descendants? Look, this time, Director Zhang, by just trying to ride the wave of popularity, directly boosted the movie's box office. So, riding your popularity will become the secret to traffic, and everyone will follow suit." Zhang Yuqi asked, puzzled.

Chen Mo was somewhat lost in thought. You see, even his own bedmate thinks this way, let alone the outside world.

Because in many people's eyes, Chen Mo's status and position would not allow anyone to ride on his popularity or use his name for free.

But Chen Mo really didn't think that way!
“Petty? If I were really petty, his movie would have been canceled on its first day of release.”

Chen Mo handed over the peeled apple, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather: "But do you think I should participate?"

Zhang Yuqi took the apple, biting into it with a crunching sound, and mumbled, "Shouldn't this be? Isn't this blatant bullying because you've retired from the entertainment industry?"

"It's not that serious. As for riding on someone else's coattails, it's either you riding on my coattails or I riding on yours. In the entertainment industry, those who know, know."

"Tell me, what exactly are you going to do?" Zhang Yuqi was genuinely curious.

"Of course we should forgive him!" Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Forgive him?"

"Otherwise what? Would I really humiliate them? I'm not that petty. Besides, they're from the Beijing Film Academy. Even if we don't respect them, we should at least give them face!" Chen Mo said generously.

“What if other people follow suit?” Zhang Yuqi asked.

Chen Mo was not worried about this at all.

"Heh, you're overthinking it. Do I need to take action?"

Chen Mo turned back, his tone laced with sarcasm: "What is the entertainment industry best at? Reading the wind. What is the wind right now? It's that the higher the box office of someone who touches my name, the faster they'll die. Because everyone will be watching—whether they can still get investment, whether any platform dares to take on their new projects, and whether their so-called 'success model' can be replicated a second time."

He picked up the corncob from Zhang Yuqi's hand and weighed it in his hand.

"Popularity can translate into box office revenue, but it can't buy you a path to success. This path..."

Chen Mo gently snapped the corncob in two: "Believe it or not, if I had kept quiet, his path would have been cut off." "Wait a minute, if that's the case, why did you let things escalate?" Zhang Yuqi asked, wrapping her arms around Chen Mo's neck like a curious child.

Chen Mo quickly adjusted his sitting posture, wrapped his arms around her waist carefully, mainly because this tiger woman was heavily pregnant.

"That's because, although I wanted to help them get started and give them a boost, and also maintain our friendship as classmates, I still had to leave some deterrent effect for those who came after, didn't I?"

"Otherwise, wouldn't anyone be able to piggyback on my name? What I want is for everyone to think twice before trying to use my name—is making quick money more important, or is it more important to continue surviving in this industry?"

Zhang Yuqi suddenly understood.

Chen Mo expressed his attitude in the most professional way: without taking a stance or arguing, he created a barrier that the entire circle spontaneously formed. That barrier bore two sentences: "Those who cross Chen Mo, though they may be hot, will surely die."

The hype is yours, but your future is ruined.

"Besides, it's fine to ride the wave of popularity, but you should at least say hello first, right? So, this can be considered a test?" Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Are you trying to set a rule? If you don't step up and speak, the rules will speak for themselves, and they'll speak louder than anyone else. Tsk tsk, as expected of you! So you want both face and substance, and you also want to establish your authority!" Zhang Yuqi looked at her man, becoming quite excited.

Just as Chen Mo and Zhang Yuqi said, the external environment is becoming increasingly unfriendly to this new director.

He suddenly realized that if the box office of "Happy Breakup" was good because he capitalized on the hype, many people would be optimistic about him and praise him.

But how long has it been?

It seemed like the sky suddenly turned dark.

He wasn't familiar with Chen Mo and didn't know what kind of person Chen Mo was.

Actually, some people tried to persuade him back then, but at that time, he was only thinking about the movie and how to make his first movie a success.

They didn't even consider the consequences.

It can be said that reality taught him a harsh lesson.

Yes, staged accidents are the best way to promote oneself, especially for Chen Mo. Chen Mo, who recently retired from the entertainment industry, can be said to be the real secret to gaining popularity.

But then a problem arises: some people are not people you can just touch.

Do they really think everyone else is stupid and doesn't know that trying to gain attention by associating with Chen Mo?
But why doesn't anyone do this?
Even those who did so were doing it passively, but only he went and directly raised three fingers and rubbed against her.

After facing setbacks everywhere, he reluctantly returned to his alma mater and went to see his advisor. Seeing his dejected expression, the advisor didn't say much, but simply asked with a half-smile, "Do you know where the problem lies?"

He lowered his head, hesitated for a long time, and then said in a low voice, "Did I not inform Director Chen beforehand?"

"Nonsense!" the mentor scoffed. "Do you think the rules of this industry are just for show? You use someone's name as a stepping stone without asking, and you rake in the box office—but that's called 'taking without asking,' and to put it bluntly, what's the difference between that and stealing?"

His face burned with embarrassment after being reprimanded, and his mind was in turmoil: "What should I do now? I want to apologize in person, but how could someone like Director Chen possibly see me? I don't even know where he is."

The tutor glanced at him, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about the weather: "You really want to carry a pig's head straight into the temple? You don't even know which way the temple door faces."

"How many people graduate from Beijing Film Academy every year? There are countless people in the industry who use the title of 'alumnus'—but school motto is one thing, and personal relationships are another. Even classmates can turn on each other when it comes to resources. Do you expect someone like Chen Mo to protect you just because he's an 'alumnus'?"

He became more and more direct: "In all these years since the school was founded, only one person has emerged, Chen Mo. He may have retired, but he's not dead. His fans haven't left, and the investors haven't forgotten him either. You think you're just riding on the coattails of a washed-up director? You're riding on a golden brand, a 'name' that many people dare not touch."

Seeing the student still looking bewildered, the tutor finally softened his tone and advised, "It's not too late to panic now. Don't try to knock on Chen Mo's door right away—you can't reach him. Find someone who can pass on the message, write a proper apology letter, and don't resort to PR press releases. Once you've got the attitude right, then ask someone to deliver it to him."

"As for whether they forgive or not, or whether they're willing to lend a helping hand," the tutor stood up and patted him on the shoulder:
"That depends on your 'performance' going forward, and on how unhappy Director Chen really is. Remember this lesson—in this industry, sometimes a 'name' is more important than life. If you touch someone else's name, you have to be prepared to pay the price."

Seeing that his student's face had turned pale, he knew how much pressure the student had been under recently.

After all, despite the large number of graduates from the Beijing Film Academy each year, only a small percentage actually make it big.

Zhang Yi was considered one of the better students in his class, and he valued him highly, so he reassured him, "However, the entertainment industry isn't all about fighting and killing; there are also interpersonal relationships involved."

"If all else fails, I'll swallow my pride and, although I haven't taught Chen Mo, I know his former teachers. I can put in a good word for you!"

"Thank you, thank you, teacher!" Zhang Yi quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Just then, his phone rang.

He picked up.

He was immediately stunned: "This, you're not kidding?"

The person on the other end of the phone replied, "Just look at your phone and Weibo, you'll see!"

Zhang Yi had just hung up the phone when his mind was still reeling.

His mentor, noticing his unusual expression, stopped talking and asked what was wrong. Zhang Yi didn't answer, grabbing his phone and trembling as he opened Weibo. He found his previous apology statement and scrolled down, holding his breath.

Then, he froze—at the very bottom of the statement, next to that inconspicuous like icon, stood a name that made his palms sweat: Chen Mo.

He stared at those two words, somewhat incredulous, and then scrolled up to take another look at the profile picture.

It was indeed that retired senior alumnus, the legendary figure he had recently "蹭热度" (蹭热度 is a Chinese internet slang term meaning to piggyback on someone else's fame). There was no repost, no comment, just a like—a seemingly insignificant like, yet enough to stir up a storm within the circle.

"Chen Mo. He called my apology."

Zhang Yi raised his head, his throat tightening, and his words were somewhat incoherent, as if he were talking to himself or confirming with his mentor: "Chen Mo liked my post."

The professor, who had been leaning back in his chair, straightened up slightly upon hearing this. He held out his hand, gesturing for Zhang Yi to hand over his phone. Taking the phone, he squinted at the username of the user who had liked the post, then looked up at Zhang Yi's face, a mixture of shock, confusion, and a hint of relief. After a few seconds of silence, he slowly placed the phone back on the table.

"He liked your post."

The tutor repeated himself, his tone flat and devoid of emotion: "So, what do you think he meant by that?"

Zhang Yi opened his mouth, but no words came out. Yes, what did this mean? Did she forgive him? Did she not pursue the matter further? Or something else? That quiet "like" was like a riddle, suddenly thrown at him.

"Slap!" The tutor slapped him hard on the shoulder.

"Silly boy, you're incredibly lucky! Of course, Chen Mo is Chen Mo after all; with that magnanimity, it's no wonder he succeeded! You still have a lot to learn!" the mentor remarked.

This "like," though it didn't say anything, actually expressed its attitude.

This small like turned a bad thing into a good thing; in short, the storm has passed and the sun shines again.

Moreover, Zhang Yi will definitely go from being completely ignored to becoming a leading figure among the new generation of directors. After all, he is Chen Mo's junior!

Yes, at this point, he was truly Chen Mo's junior! (End of Chapter)